Golf club head and method for making it

ABSTRACT

A golf club head includes a hitting face and a changeable zone formed on a surface of the hitting face and having a physical feature different from that of the hitting face. Thus, all part or partial of the changeable zone of the hitting face has a hardness different from that of the hitting face, so that when the changeable zone is harder than the hitting face, the golf club head provides a greater hitting force on the golf ball due to the greater hardness of the changeable zone to increase the travel distance of the golf ball, and when the changeable zone is softer than the hitting face, the travel direction of the golf ball is controlled by the golf club head to facilitate a user controlling the travel direction the golf ball.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a golf club head and, moreparticularly, to a golf club head and a method for making the golf clubhead.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional golf club head has a hitting face to hit a golf ball soas to move the golf ball during a period of distance. When the hittingface of the golf club head has a greater hardness, the hitting face ofthe golf club head provides a greater hitting force on the golf ball soas to increase the travel distance of the golf ball. On the contrary,when the hitting face of the golf club head has a smaller hardness, thecontact time between the hitting face of the golf club head and the golfball is increased so that the travel direction of the golf ball iscontrolled by the golf club head to facilitate a user controlling thetravel direction the golf ball. However, the whole part of the hittingface of the golf club head has the same hardness so that the hardness ofthe hitting face of the golf club head cannot be changed, therebydecreasing the versatility of the golf club head.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided a golf club head, comprising a hitting face, and a changeablezone formed on a surface of the hitting face and having a physicalfeature different from that of the hitting face. Preferably, thechangeable zone has a crystal arrangement that is changed and differentfrom that of the hitting face. Preferably, the changeable zone has astructure different from that of the hitting face. Preferably, thechangeable zone has a hardness different from that of the hitting face.Preferably, all part of the changeable zone has a hardness differentfrom that of the hitting face. Preferably, partial of the changeablezone has a hardness different from that of the hitting face.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided a method for making a golf club head which has a hitting faceand a changeable zone formed on a surface of the hitting face,comprising working the changeable zone and the hitting face so that thechangeable zone has a physical feature different from that of thehitting face. Preferably, the changeable zone has a crystal arrangementthat is changed and different from that of the hitting face. Preferably,the changeable zone has a structure different from that of the hittingface. Preferably, the changeable zone has a hardness different from thatof the hitting face. Preferably, the changeable zone and the hittingface are worked by punching, and the changeable zone and the hittingface are punched by different times. Preferably, the changeable zone andthe hitting face are worked by heat treatment. Preferably, thechangeable zone and the hitting face are worked by rolling. Preferably,all part or partial of the changeable zone has a hardness different fromthat of the hitting face.

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a golf clubhead and a method for making the golf club head, wherein all part orpartial of the changeable zone of the hitting face has a hardnessdifferent from (greater or smaller than) that of the hitting face, sothat when the changeable zone is harder than the hitting face, the golfclub head provides a greater hitting force on the golf ball due to thegreater hardness of the changeable zone to increase the travel distanceof the golf ball, and when the changeable zone is softer than thehitting face, the vibration is reduced and the travel direction of thegolf ball is controlled by the golf club head to facilitate a usercontrolling the travel direction the golf ball.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a golf clubhead and a method for making the golf club head, wherein when thechangeable zone of the hitting face of the golf club head is worked, thecrystal arrangement of the changeable zone is changed so that thechangeable zone has a structure different from that of the hitting faceand has a hardness different from that of the hitting face.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent after a careful reading of the detailed description withappropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method for making a golf club in accordancewith the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the method for making a second blank of thegolf club as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the second blank of the golf club as shown inFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the method for making a second blank of thegolf club in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the method for making a second blank of thegolf club in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the method for making a second blank of thegolf club in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method for making a golf club in accordancewith another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings and initially to FIG. 1, a method for making agolf club head in accordance with the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention comprises a first step of providing a circular bar 1,a second step of working the circular bar 1 by a bending and stampingprocess to form a first blank 2, a third step of working the first blank2 by a rough forging and stamping process by two to three times to forma second blank 3, a fourth step of working the second blank 3 by afinish forging and stamping process by one to two times to form a thirdblank 4, and a fifth step of working the third blank 4 by a lapping andcoloring process to form a product of a golf club head.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the second blank 3 has a hitting face 31provided with a changeable zone 32 which is encompassed by and locatedat a middle position of the hitting face 31. In the preferred embodimentof the present invention, the changeable zone 32 is a protruding portionprotruding outwardly from the hitting face 31 of the second blank 3.Thus, when the second blank 3 is worked, the changeable zone 32 isworked by punching to flush with the hitting face 31 so that the hittingface 31 and the changeable zone 32 form a flat smooth surface. In such amanner, the changeable zone 32 has a crystal arrangement that is changedand different from that of the hitting face 31 by punching so that thechangeable zone 32 has a structure different from that of the hittingface 31. Thus, the changeable zone 32 has a hardness different from thatof the hitting face 31. In the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the changeable zone 32 is a hitting zone and has a hardnessgreater than that of the hitting face 31 when the changeable zone 32 isa protruding portion protruding outwardly from the hitting face 31 ofthe second blank 3 so that the changeable zone 32 is harder than thehitting face 31.

Thus, when the hitting face 31 of the golf club head hits a golf ball,the hitting face 31 of the golf club head provides a greater hittingforce on the golf ball due to the greater hardness of the changeablezone 32 to increase the travel distance of the golf ball.

In conclusion, when the changeable zone 32 of the hitting face 31 of thegolf club head is worked, the crystal arrangement of the changeable zone32 is changed so that the changeable zone 32 has a structure differentfrom that of the hitting face 31. Thus, all part or partial of thechangeable zone 32 of the hitting face 31 has a hardness different from(greater or smaller than) that of the hitting face 31. At this time, thechangeable zone 32 of the hitting face 31 of the golf club head isworked by punching by different times, worked by heat treatment orworked by punching and heat treatment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the changeable zone 32 is a recessed portion formedin the hitting face 31 of the second blank 3. Thus, when the secondblank 3 is worked, the hitting face 31 is worked by punching to flushwith the changeable zone 32 so that the hitting face 31 and thechangeable zone 32 form a flat smooth surface. In such a manner, thehitting face 31 has a crystal arrangement that is changed and differentfrom that of the changeable zone 32 by punching so that the hitting face31 has a structure different from that of the changeable zone 32. Thus,the changeable zone 32 has a hardness different from that of the hittingface 31. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thechangeable zone 32 has a hardness smaller than that of the hitting face31 when the changeable zone 32 is a recessed portion formed in thehitting face 31 of the second blank 3 so that the changeable zone 32 issofter than the hitting face 31.

Thus, when the hitting face 31 of the golf club head hits a golf ball,the contact time between the hitting face 31 of the golf club head andthe golf ball is increased due to the softer feature of the changeablezone 32 so that the travel direction the golf ball is controlled by thegolf club head to facilitate a user controlling the travel direction thegolf ball. In addition, the changeable zone 32 has a softer feature toreduce the vibration that is produced when the hitting face 31 of thegolf club head hits the golf ball, thereby providing a comfortablesensation to the user.

Referring to FIG. 5, the changeable zone 32 is a convex protrudingportion protruding outwardly from the hitting face 31 of the secondblank 3.

Referring to FIG. 6, the changeable zone 32 is a concave recessedportion formed in the hitting face 31 of the second blank 3.

Accordingly, all part or partial of the changeable zone 32 of thehitting face 31 has a hardness different from (greater or smaller than)that of the hitting face 31, so that when the changeable zone 32 isharder than the hitting face 31, the golf club head provides a greaterhitting force on the golf ball due to the greater hardness of thechangeable zone 32 to increase the travel distance of the golf ball, andwhen the changeable zone 32 is softer than the hitting face 31, thevibration is reduced and the travel direction of the golf ball iscontrolled by the golf club head to facilitate a user controlling thetravel direction the golf ball. In addition, when the changeable zone 32of the hitting face 31 of the golf club head is worked, the crystalarrangement of the changeable zone 32 is changed so that the changeablezone 32 has a structure different from that of the hitting face 31 andhas a hardness different from that of the hitting face.

Referring to FIG. 7, the golf club head is made of wood material, andthe changeable zone 52 is a protruding portion protruding outwardly fromthe hitting face 51 of the second blank 5 of the golf club head. Inoperation, when the second blank 5 is worked by a rolling process, thechangeable zone 52 is worked by rolling to flush with the hitting face51 so that the hitting face 51 and the changeable zone 52 form a flatsmooth surface. In such a manner, the changeable zone 52 has a crystalarrangement that is changed and different from that of the hitting face51 by rolling so that the changeable zone 52 has a structure differentfrom that of the hitting face 51. Thus, the changeable zone 52 has ahardness different from that of the hitting face 51. In the preferredembodiment of the present invention, the changeable zone 52 is a hittingzone and has a hardness greater than that of the hitting face 51 whenthe changeable zone 52 is a protruding portion protruding outwardly fromthe hitting face 51 of the second blank 5 so that the changeable zone 52is harder than that of the hitting face 51.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferredembodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many otherpossible modifications and variations can be made without departing fromthe scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated thatthe appended claim or claims will cover such modifications andvariations that fall within the true scope of the invention.

1. A golf club head, comprising: a hitting face; a changeable zoneformed on a surface of the hitting face and having a physical featuredifferent from that of the hitting face.
 2. The golf club head inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the changeable zone has a crystalarrangement that is changed and different from that of the hitting face.3. The golf club head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the changeablezone has a structure different from that of the hitting face.
 4. Thegolf club head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the changeable zonehas a hardness different from that of the hitting face.
 5. The golf clubhead in accordance with claim 1, wherein the changeable zone has ahardness greater than that of the hitting face so that the changeablezone is harder than the hitting face.
 6. The golf club head inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the changeable zone has a hardnesssmaller than that of the hitting face so that the changeable zone issofter than the hitting face.
 7. The golf club head in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the changeable zone is a hitting zone.
 8. The golf clubhead in accordance with claim 1, wherein all part of the changeable zonehas a hardness different from that of the hitting face.
 9. The golf clubhead in accordance with claim 1, wherein partial of the changeable zonehas a hardness different from that of the hitting face.
 10. The golfclub head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the changeable zone isencompassed by the hitting face.
 11. The golf club head in accordancewith claim 1, wherein the changeable zone is located at a middleposition of the hitting face.
 12. The golf club head in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the hitting face and the changeable zone form a flatsmooth surface.
 13. A method for making a golf club head which has ahitting face and a changeable zone formed on a surface of the hittingface, comprising: working the changeable zone and the hitting face sothat the changeable zone has a physical feature different from that ofthe hitting face.
 14. The method in accordance with claim 13, whereinthe changeable zone has a crystal arrangement that is changed anddifferent from that of the hitting face.
 15. The method in accordancewith claim 13, wherein the changeable zone has a structure differentfrom that of the hitting face.
 16. The method in accordance with claim13, wherein the changeable zone has a hardness different from that ofthe hitting face.
 17. The method in accordance with claim 13, whereinthe changeable zone and the hitting face are worked by punching, and thechangeable zone and the hitting face are punched by different times. 18.The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein the changeable zone andthe hitting face are worked by heat treatment.
 19. The method inaccordance with claim 13, wherein the changeable zone and the hittingface are worked by rolling.
 20. The method in accordance with claim 13,wherein all part or partial of the changeable zone has a hardnessdifferent from that of the hitting face.